A new type of absorbable barbed suture for use in laparoscopic myomectomy

Objective: To compare effectiveness, feasibility, and suturing time required between an absorbable barbed wire (V-Lot) uterine suture and a classic continuous suture with intracorporeal knots among women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy. Methods: From January 2010 to February 2011, women with single symptomatic intramural myoma were prospectively enrolled in a single-center study at a university hospital in Rome, Italy. A control group with characteristics meeting the criteria for study inclusion was retrospectively identified from the hospital databases. In the prospective group uterine wall defects were closed with V-Loc suture, whereas in the control group they were closed by classical continuous suture with intracorporeal knots. Data were analyzed via Student t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher exact test. Results: The mean operative time was shorter in the V-Loc (51 +/- 18.1 min) than in the control (58 +/- 17.8 min) group. Suturing time was significantly lower in the V-Loc than in the control (9.9 +/- 4.3 versus 15.8 +/- 4.7 min: P=0.0004) group. Both intraoperative bleeding and drop in hemoglobin were significantly lower in the V-Loc group (P=0.0076 and P=0.0176, respectively). Conclusion: Use of a barbed suture may aid surgeons during laparoscopic suturing by reducing operative time, suturing time, and blood loss. (C) 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.